Students highlight bathroom, lunch and climate concerns as public seeks clarity on expulsions

Student Director Smith delivered a detailed middle‑school update at the Jan. 14 Oakland Unified board meeting, reporting feedback gathered from nine participating middle schools about facilities, lunches and school climate.

Smith said students praised some improvements (new water stations, floor work, leadership events) but repeatedly raised restroom access and school‑lunch quality as districtwide concerns. Students also reported peer‑to‑peer issues, Chromebook care problems and the need for better communication from adults overseeing renovations.

Public commenters asked the board to explain how expelled students remain connected to education and requested disaggregated suspension and expulsion data by race and special‑education status. One commenter said the district’s public materials describe supports (healing skills, behavioral health services, counseling and reentry plans), but asked whether those services are consistently implemented for younger students, newcomers, English learners and students with disabilities.

Board members and the superintendent acknowledged the concerns. Directors asked staff to follow up with facilities and nutrition services and requested regular updates on restroom and lunch remediation work. Director Thompson and others urged greater transparency and data disaggregation so the board and community can track whether improvements reach the students most affected.

Ending: The board asked staff to return with more detailed, disaggregated data and to coordinate with site administrators and facilities/nutrition teams on follow‑up reports.